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Announced school closing hits close to home for Mike McCarthy

The closing and/or consolidation of parochial schools hit close to home for Greenfield native Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Green Bay Packers and a alumnus of St. Rosalia Academy, whose closure recently was announced by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Similar to other Catholic-school closures in recent years, St. Rosalia suffered from declining enrollment and financial burdens, according to the diocese. Mr. McCarthy, who was at St. Rosalia for Mike McCarthy Day, had set up a foundation that over the past seven years provided $550,000 to the school and parish. His remarks underscore the lifelong connection to one's Catholic education.“I'm extremely disappointed. I'm not going to point fingers. But this situation in Greenfield is very personal to me and my family. My family has four generations going through there.”“When you lose something important, you just wish you would have had a chance to save it.”“To be in this predicament is disappointing. I'm sick about it. When you feel like you are doing your part to keep things going, just like everything in life, you want to be communicated with and you want accountability. Something obviously didn't go right to be in this position. I'm just stating the obvious.”

This is really in poor form (what the school/diocese did). Sadly, over the past year I've seen many Catholic entities make changes or engage in consolidations without consulting with donors or referring to donor intent in their decision making. It's lacking in standard operations and best of business, and professionalism when it comes to development. Someone did indeed drop the ball by not reaching out. But again, this seems to be common now. How sad.

Of Interest

Benedict

Benedict, while the "father of the new liturgical movement" (in my estimation at any rate), is not the new liturgical movement; as such the new liturgical movement does not die with the end of his papacy.